YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN special times with Jesus, all by yourself! Reading your Bible and exploring it creatively can help you become more like Him. You can spend time with God in many different ways. Pick your favorite ideas, read your favorite story, and get started!
PRAYERFUL READING
Whenever you read your Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to help you discover what He wants you to learn today. Read the story of the Good Samaritan and ask God how He wants you to be kind and caring toward others. Or read the parable of the Sower and the Seed and ask God how you can grow more like Him today. Write down any ideas that come to mind, and then put them into action.
WRITE YOUR OWN BOOK
Make a miniature book by folding and stapling paper together and writing the Bible story in your own words. Illustrate with your own pictures. Then read your story to someone in your family. Jesus told lots of stories called parables, and these are perfect for turning into mini-books. Make a whole collection of little Bible storybooks for a younger child.
NOISY STORIES
Read a Bible story and imagine all the sound effects in the story, such as sheep (baa), walking on stones (crunch), water (splash), eating (yum, yum), being filled with wonder (wow!), etc. Collect things to help you make the best sounds. Then tell the Bible story in your own words and add the sound effects to bring the story to life. Ask Mom or Dad to record your story. Share your recorded stories with your friends and family members through social media, or with your Sabbath School class. Try the story of Creation, Noah’s ark, the lost sheep, Moses and the children of Israel escaping through the Red Sea, or the story of Jesus’ birth.
POSTCARDS FROM THE PAST
Find some blank postcards or cut cardstock to the size of a postcard. Draw a picture from a Bible story on one side of the card. On the other side write a postcard-type message from one of the people in the Bible story. What do you think they learned about God in this story, and how might they write about their experience to one of their friends or family members?
THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION!
Read a Bible story, then answer the following questions for yourself. What did you like best about the story? What was the most important lesson in the story for you today? Which person in the story is most like you, or which part of the story is most about you? What did you learn about God’s love for you in this story? You can ask these good questions about any Bible story. They help the story to come alive in your life, and they help you to understand how much God loves you.
GROWING GREAT!
Read a Bible story and list the character strengths of each person in the story. Character strengths are things like courage, wisdom, kindness, patience, generosity, gratitude, teamwork, perseverance, self-control, putting others first, and humility. Which of these character strengths would you like to grow in your life, and what will you do to practice those strengths today?
BE CREATIVE
After reading a Bible story, make anything you like as your response to the story. You can use craft materials, write a poem, or turn your favorite text into a poster. Making something or writing something down helps you to think about the story in a new way. It doesn’t have to be perfect; just enjoy being creative.
PICK A VERSE
Choose a Bible verse that means something special to you. Write it down and decorate it. Put your finished creation where you will see it every day, and practice learning the verse.
LEAD FAMILY WORSHIP
Choose a Bible story and create a special family worship. Give each person a character from the story and ask them to describe what happened from their perspective, or how they felt about the experience. Ask them to search for objects from the story. Or ask, “What does this story tell you about God?”
OBJECT LESSONS
Read a Bible story or a chapter such as Psalm 23. Then find objects to illustrate the story, such as toy sheep, a glass of water, grass, a shepherd, a stick, a cup, etc. Lay them out in the order that they appear in the story. See if someone else in your family can guess which story the items illustrate.
STORIES FILLED WITH TREASURE
Jesus’ stories are like treasure chests. Each time you read a parable there are new thoughts and ideas to be discovered. Read one of Jesus’ parables and ask yourself what this story tells you about God, about you, about God’s hopes for your life, and about His love for you. Draw a picture to represent each parable you read, and write a list of the treasures” that you find in each story.
TROPHY TIME
Plan an award ceremony for your three favorite Bible characters. Design a trophy for each one out of recycled materials, or draw the trophies on paper. List the characters’ greatest achievements on their trophies. Write an acceptance speech for each character, where they describe how God helped them to be a hero. Present the award ceremony to your family. How can you become more like these characters?
WISDOM FOR TODAY
Read a chapter of Proverbs. Some proverbs are funny, some sound really strange to us today, and some are filled with amazing wisdom for your life. Choose a proverb and find a way to share it with your family: draw a picture, create an arrangement of objects, practice a mime, or write out a new version of the proverb that makes it relevant to your life today.
SHARE YOUR IDEAS
Whenever you find an idea that helps you explore the Bible, why not tell your friends and classmates? Or the kids in your Sabbath School class? You might be able to do the activity together!
